Paint tube dispensing cap

ABSTRACT

A drawing instrument comprising a flexible tube of paint having a cap detachably secured thereto which is adapted to dispense a stream of paint to form a thin thread-like bead of paint on paper. The cap is constructed of material which is not wetted by the paint to permit flow through a very small passage while minimizing pressure required to initiate and maintain flow therethrough.

United States Patent 1 Moore Dec. 11, 1973 PAINT TUBE DISPENSING CAP [76] Inventor: Hugh K. Moore, 2611 Havenhurst,

Dallas, Tex. 75234 [22] Filed: Sept. 15, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 180,695

[52] US. Cl. 222/189, 222/521 [51] Int. Cl B65d 35/14 [58] Field of Search 222/92, 107, 521, 222/189, 568; 401/183 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,131,836 5/1964 Baarn 222/521 3,510,893 5/1970 Moore 222/92 X 3,189,223 6/1965 Mackal 222/189 X Wood 222/189 X Densmore 222/521 Primary Examiner-Stanley H. Tollberg Att0rney--l-l0ward E. Moore et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A drawing instrument comprising a flexible tube of paint having a cap detachably secured thereto which is adapted to dispense a stream of paint to form a thin thread-like bead of paint on paper. The cap is constructed of material which is not wetted by the paint to permit flow through a very small passage while minimizing pressure required to initiate and maintain flow therethrough.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures IIAWJI PAINT TUBE DISPENSING CAP BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Heretofore paint for use by artists for making paintings has been provided in tubes. The paint has been removed from the tube and applied to paper, canvas or other suitable material with a brush, knife, or other instrument. No dispensing apparatus connectable directly to a tube of paint has been heretofore devised for use in applying a fine line of viscous paint or lacquer directly from a tube. Tips have been developed which are connectable to containers for dispensing viscous materials such as cake icing and glue. However, such viscous materials have not been dispensed in fine thread-like lines.

Materials, such as ink, having low viscosity have been dispensed through small orifices for drawing fine lines. However, such pens, for example, Rapidograph distributed by Koh-i-noor, Inc. of Bloomsbury, New Jersey, do not function properly unless specially formulated inks are used.

Dispensing tips of the type used on drawing pens are generally constructed of steel, having surface characteristics which result in molecular attraction between oil base paint and the surface and which is therefore wetted by oil base inks. Consequently, as the diameter of the passageway through the dispensing tube is reduced the pressure required to force ink therethrough becomes excessive. It should be appreciated that if excessive force is required to initiate and maintain flow of paint through the passage in the dispensing tip, the hand of the artist will tend to shake thereby destroying the effectiveness of the tool and rendering the same useless since the skill of the artist would not be apparent because of the uncontrolled shaking of his hand. It is further noted that even if a fine line of oil paint could be dispensed therethrough, the device could only be used momentarily because muscles would tire rapidly.

The use of a brush or knife for painting with oil paints requires substantial time for development of any degree of proficiency.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION I have developed a drawing instrument comprising a cap or disconnectable tip designed for attachment to a tube of paint to expeditiously convert the paint tube from a mere container to an art tool for applying oil paint. The cap is constructed of nonmetallic material which will not be wetted by the oil paint. The paint is dispensed through a small passage having a diameter adjacent the outer end thereof in a range between 0.001 inches and 0.0045 to produce a thin thread-like line of paint. Since the paint does not wet the material, the paint is capable of flowing through a passage having a small diameter with minimum surface attraction between paint and walls of the passage. Since the stream of paint must be very small, flow cannot be sustained through a passage if the adhesive attraction between the paint and the wall of the passage is high since the stream of paint is only a few molecules thick.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a tip which can be disconnectably secured to a tube of paint which may be a conventional oil or acrylic based artists paint for dispensing a thin thread-like stream.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool for applying such paint which requires less time to develop proficiency in the use thereof than is required for learning to use a brush.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tip for applying such paint directly from a tube which is adapted to strain oil paint to prevent clogging of the passage in the tip.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a tip for applying such paint adapted to be sealed to prevent drying of the paint.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent upon referring to the detailed description hereinafter following and the drawings annexed hereto.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Drawing of two embodiments of the invention are annexed hereto so that the invention may be better and more fully understood, in which:

FIG. I is an enlarged partially sectionalized elevational view of the tip connected to a flexible tube of paint;

FIG. II is an elevational view of a strainer;

FIG. III is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a second embodiment; and

FIG. IV is a cross-sectional view taken along line IVIV of FIG. III.

Numeral references are employed to designate like parts throughout the various figures of the drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. I of the drawing is illustrated a drawing instrument comprising a cap secured by suitable means such as threads 3 to the neck 4 ofa flexible tube 5 containing paint or other suitable material.

Cap 2 has a projection 6 extending outwardly from a central portion thereof and the outer end of the projection 6 is preferably pointed to allow orientation of tube 5 and cap 2 at a variety of angles without interfering with visibility at the point of application of the paint. The pointed end of projection 6 comprises converging surfaces 8 which are preferably disposed at an angle in a range between 18 and 40 to the longitudinal axis of projection 6.

A passage 10 extends through cap 2 and projection 6, the lower end 12 of the passage communicating with the inside of the neck 4 of the tube 5 and the upper end of the passage communicating with an opening 14 in the pointed tip of projection 6.

While the outlet opening 14 in the outer end of projection 6 may be of any desired dimension, an opening in a range from between 0.001 inches and 0.0045 inches has been found from experimentation to be most effective for quality painting.

Passage 10 preferably has a cross-section of decreasing diameter such that paint is channeled toward the outlet opening 14 for minimizing the effect of adhesion between the paint and walls of the passage.

The cap 2 and projection 6 are preferably constructed of a material which is not wetted by fluid flowing therethrough. Non-wetting of the material by the fluid provides a condition wherein the minimum resistance to flow is present which is an important feature of the device which is particularly adapted to form a very thin stream of paint by applying minimum pressure to the tube 5. In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, the cap 2, having projection 6 extending outwardly therefrom, is constructed of molded plastic material, such as high density polyethylene, and is filled with very small glass beads 16 and fibrous material 18 to minimize deterioration of surfaces, which would tend to wear away if constructed of unreinforced material.

As best illustrated in FIG. II, strainer means 20 having apertures 22 extending therethrough is adapted to be positioned as illustrated in FIG. I for straining solid particles from the paint to prevent stoppage of passage 10 through projection 6. Strainer means preferably has a projection 24 extending outwardly from a central portion thereof to facilitate removal of the strainer 20 from the inside of cap 2 when said cap is removed from the threaded portion 3 of the neck 4 of the tube for cleaning. Strainer 20 may assume any suitable form, such as a solid disc having openings 22 extending therethrough or a suitable woven mesh arranged to filter paint. Openings 22 are preferably equal to or less than the diameter of the outlet opening 14 in the outer end of projection 6 such that materials passing through openings 22 will not become lodged in the outlet opening. Since a plurality of the openings are provided in strainer 20 use of the strainer does not substantially increase the pressure required to initiate flow through passage 10.

If desired the outer surface of cap 2 may be roughened as by providing lugs 26 to facilitate connecting the cap with the neck 4 of the tube.

A modified form of the invention, illustrated in FIGS. III and IV of the drawing, comprises cap 2' connectable by threads 3 on the neck 4 of a paint tube. The form of the invention illustrated in FIG. III is adapted to permit movement of projection 6' such that passage extending through the pointed outer portion may be sealed by a closure member 30 on the outer end of outwardly extending member 32 having a passage 34 extending therethrough. Projection 6' is secured to cap 2 by a lug 36 movable through inclined groove 38 formed in the periphery of annular passage 40 formed in cap From the foregoing it should be readily apparent that I have developed a tip which is connectable to a tube of paint 5 for converting the tube from a mere container to provide a drawing instrument particularly adapted to dispense a thin thread-like stream of viscous oil paint while minimizing the force which must be exerted on tube 5 to initiate and maintain flow of the thin stream of paint.

It should be appreciated that the foregoing description is directed only to a preferred embodiment of my invention and that other and further embodiments might be devised without departing from the basic concept of my invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. A drawing instrument comprising, a flexible tube of paint; a neck on said tube; a cap constructed of nonmetallic material; means to detachably secure the cap to the neck of the tube; a projection on the cap; converging surfaces on the outer end of the projection arranged to form a pointed tip, said projection having a passage extending therethrough communicating with the inside of the neck of the tube and extending through said pointed tip, said passage having a diameter adjacent the outer end thereof in a range between 0.001 inches and 0.0045 inches; strainer means in said cap having a plurality of openings extending therethrough, each of said openings having a maximum dimension less than the minimum dimension of the passage in the projection; and an extension secured to and extending outwardly from the strainer means to facilitate removal of the strainer means from the cap.

2. The combination called for in claim 1 wherein the cap is constructed of material which is repellent to paint such that paint in the passage does not wet walls of the passage.

3. The combination called for in claim 1 wherein the cap is constructed of molded polyethylene.

4. The combination called for in claim 3 with the addition of reinforcing material imbedded in the molded polyethylene to provide an abrasion resistant tip.

5. The combination called for in claim 1 wherein the converging surfaces on the projection are disposed at an angle in a range of 18 to 40 to the axis of the projection. I

6. The combination called for in claim I wherein the means to secure the projection to the cap comprises interengaging means adapted to permit movement of the extension relative to the cap; and with the addition of closure means secured to the cap adjacent said passage positioned such that said extension is movable between a first position wherein the passage is closed by said closure means and a second position wherein said closure means is spaced from said passage.

7. A drawing instrument comprising, a flexible tube of paint; a neck on said tube; a cap constructed of resilient polyethylene material which is impervious to paint and adapted to prevent wetting of surfaces thereof by the paint; means to detachably secure the cap to the neck of the tube; a projection on the cap; beads of glass reinforcing material embedded in the polyethylene material to form abrasion resistant surfaces on the projection; and converging surfaces on the outer end of the projection arranged to form a pointed tip, said projection having a passage extending therethrough communicating with the inside of the neck of the tube and extending through said pointed tip. 

1. A drawing instrument comprising, a flexible tube of paint; a neck on said tube; a cap constructed of non-metallic material; means to detachably secure the cap to the neck of the tube; a projection on the cap; converging surfaces on the outer end of the projection arranged to form a pointed tip, said projection having a passage extending therethrough communicating with the inside of the neck of the tube and extending through said pointed tip, said passage having a diameter adjacent the outer end thereof in a range between 0.001 inches and 0.0045 inches; strainer means in said cap having a plurality of openings extending therethrough, each of said openings having a maximum dimension less than the minimum dimension of the passage in the projection; and an extension secured to and extending outwardly from the strainer means to facilitate removal of the strainer means from the cap.
 2. The combination called for in claim 1 wherein the cap is constructed of material which is repellent to paint such that paint in the passage does not wet walls of the passage.
 3. The combination called for in claim 1 wherein the cap is constructed of molded polyethylene.
 4. The combination called for in claim 3 with the addition of reinforcing material imbedded in the molded polyethylene to provide an abrasion resistant tip.
 5. The combination called for in claim 1 wherein the converging surfaces on the projection are disposed at an angle in a range of 18* to 40* to the axis of the projection.
 6. The combination called for in claim 1 wherein the means to secure the projection to the cap comprises interengaging means adapted to permit movement of the extension relative to the cap; and with the addition of closure means secured to the cap adjacent said passage positioned such that said extension is movable between a first position wherein the passage is closed by said closure means and a secoNd position wherein said closure means is spaced from said passage.
 7. A drawing instrument comprising, a flexible tube of paint; a neck on said tube; a cap constructed of resilient polyethylene material which is impervious to paint and adapted to prevent wetting of surfaces thereof by the paint; means to detachably secure the cap to the neck of the tube; a projection on the cap; beads of glass reinforcing material embedded in the polyethylene material to form abrasion resistant surfaces on the projection; and converging surfaces on the outer end of the projection arranged to form a pointed tip, said projection having a passage extending therethrough communicating with the inside of the neck of the tube and extending through said pointed tip. 